How to fix this dent on a fret

[Ron Kirn]

I'd take it to a shop and have the fret replaced.

Under normal circumstances I'd agree... but the overall condition of that one fret suggests issues that are probably infecting other frets... get it leveled and crowned.. not only will it fix the fret in question, but it'll make the guitar eminently more playable up 'n down the fingerboard...

all you Modding crazies.... the single best thing "you" can do to improve about every aspect of your playing experience is get the frets leveled and crowned, with the usual polishing... followed by a good setup... enjoy guitar playing utopia for a change..

a "band-aid" is great for a skinned knee... not so much for one of 21 frets... that are probably "sick" too. Just look at that poor puppy....

Ron Kirn

 

[WoodenDuckMaker]

This is a very inexpensive Hondo strat copy, so I can't spend what the guitar is worth to have a pro fix this, so i'm looking to do it myself.

Dent looks small, but every time I bend the string on or near that fret the string kinda gets caught over it and it's very annoying.

Was thinking of just slowly filing it down until it's smooth and I don't feel it anymore. Would that be okay? I just hope it won't make the fret uneven with the others.

Thanks for the suggestions. I got some 2000 grit sandpaper, and diligently rubbed the area of the dent until I could no longer feel it. I think it turned out great, as the playability is unaffected, and now bending feels smooth.

 

[Tone_Terrific]

I think it turned out great, as the playability is unaffected, and now bending feels smooth.

There is overkill and there is underkill, I think you killed it right...for now.

 

[kiwicanuck]

I love a happy ending! Well done!

 

[jijoe]

Interesting to read this. I have a dent on a Peerless Monarch Archtop at the 14th fret D string. It's a genuine dent - a can of something heavy fell off a shelf and hit the string pushing it into the fret - looks a bit like the OP's photo.
Drives me nuts when I hit it. I was expecting to have to get a new fret installed and then a leveling & dressing job done.

But - now that I see your fix here - I may as well give it a try - can't make it worse and the end result might be as expected anyway.

Was it just the 2000 grit you used WDM - did you try to re-shape it at all?

Cheers

 

[Captain Krunch]

Thanks for the suggestions. I got some 2000 grit sandpaper, and diligently rubbed the area of the dent until I could no longer feel it. I think it turned out great, as the playability is unaffected, and now bending feels smooth.

Great to know! I’m having the same problem and will try what you did

 

[xmd5a]

I had to deal with this when my guitar fell flat on it's face, and the G string put a gouge in one of the frets.

I don't recommend any fret leveling for a dent, because that will make the entire fret lower, and increase the chance of buzz.

Someone mentioned solder, but solder is a PITA to file, and it has a surface tension in its liquid form that I think would make it impossible to actually fill a dent successfully.

I ended up putting a little super glue in a dent, and then I smoothed it out. You might think the super glue would wear away with playing, or sound funny, but I made that repair four or five years ago and I can't even remember where the repair is at, I'd have to look for it now.

 

[Jimmy R]

I would get some Meguiar’s cleaner wax and polish the hell out of it with a microfiber cloth. It has a mild abrasive in it and will turn the microfiber black. That’s how you know it’s working.

 

[K-Line]

I would do a complete fret level and polish. Done. No issues, no worries.

 

[EarleG]

Emery board? I've used the coarse/fine sided ones on fret ends.

 

[DustyRhodesJr]

Thanks for the suggestions. I got some 2000 grit sandpaper, and diligently rubbed the area of the dent until I could no longer feel it. I think it turned out great, as the playability is unaffected, and now bending feels smooth.

Great job!

You have fixed it!

 

[DrumBob]

My GFS Slick SL-59 came with a dented fret. I used very fine steel wool and a lot of patience and care, and managed to eliminate the ding. Filing the fret will leave it lower than the others.

 

[Badstrat]

My 78 strat suffered a good knock from a punter falling against my mic stand and putting a good dent in the 4th or so fret. Took it to a good guitar tech/ luthier and he replaced the fret and gave the whole neck a level, crown and polish. Can’t remember exactly but it was like $100. Cheap. I later tried a level and crown on a cheap guitar myself and it seems like a lot of work. He’ll certainly be getting anything I need done in the future.

 

[Mr Fingers]

The nick is deep enough so that taking the surrounding material down to eliminate it will indeed lower the height of the fret enough to cause buzzing and other problems. Your choices are either to live with it or to do as Ron Kirn says -- essentially, a complete levelling and crowning. Since it's between strings, I wonder how problematic it really is, since you would have to bend reasonably far to hit it. I'd be tempted to sand it lightly, not to eliminate it -- it's too deep -- but to keep it from catching a string when bent. That might do it. Don't use steel wool. It works on the fret but at the expenbse of getting ferrous particles everywhere, which is terrible. Microfibger is infinitely better as a polishing material.

 

[Ron Kirn]

I don't recommend any fret leveling for a dent, because that will make the entire fret lower, and increase the chance of buzz.

a fret leveling lowers ALL the frets to that of the damaged fret, thus buzz is not an issue unless the ensuing setup is poorly done..

and since this was 4 years ago.. I would imagine the frets have been done again.. since the initial repair..

r

 

[xmd5a]

a fret leveling lowers ALL the frets to that of the damaged fret, thus buzz is not an issue unless the ensuing setup is poorly done..

and since this was 4 years ago.. I would imagine the frets have been done again.. since the initial repair..

r

I meant to say filing just the dented fret.

Dented frets are an eternal problem, until everyone switches to stainless steel.

 

[BrokenRomeo]

Stainless frets dent too...